The Slide
by DS Maolalai
this doesn’t bother me
as much as it did once –
“experimental poetry”
– but still
I don’t think
I like it.
like kids
playing on the monkey bars –
I much preferred
the slide. was never what you’d call
a climber
nor interested
in any expression
beyond that which words
could make. it makes me jittery,
I must admit. no purity –
no art except
the line. I much prefer falling
to climbing – perhaps you
can tell. no reach, no struggle
for meaning
beyond what’s written
down. no search
for handholds, just
direction:
come on –
come with me –
come downward.
About the author
DS Maolalai has been nominated six times for Best of the Net and three times for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry has been released in two collections, “Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden” (Encircle Press, 2016) and “Sad Havoc Among the Birds” (Turas Press, 2019)
Enjoy more poetry on Flashes
